FITCHBURG -- Sometimes even the most tragic events have a silver lining.

On Aug. 27, 1978, Fitchburg Patrolman Peter M. Nikitas died serving his city while on duty.

A decade later, community members dedicated the football field across the street from Memorial Middle School in his name, and on Saturday -- after tremendous renovations to the Nikitas Field complex -- Fitchburg Youth Football leaders rededicated the field in Nikitas' honor.

Nikitas' family members, Fitchburg Police Department officials and officers, and elected officials held a small ceremony during Saturday's season-opening slate of Fitchburg Youth Football games to pay tribute to Nikitas' memory.

"When we changed from Pop Warner to American Youth Football this year we invested a lot of money into the field and did a bunch of upgrades and redecorations of the facility," Fitchburg AYF Vice President Nathan Bilotta said. "We wanted to re-recognize the loss of Officer Nikitas, and in general honor what the police have done for the community.

"We had them come down today, gave them recognition, and let them know we appreciate everything they have done for us. (We're) hoping to build a better future with the kids in the football program and hopefully get the city in a better condition."

Nikitas Field underwent an impressive and expensive makeover.

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Projects include the painting of the block house and a complete redecoration of the building, including the painting the mural on the Rollstone Road facing side of the building. Fitchburg Youth Football also installed new video towers along the sidelines to capture all of the on-field action.

League officials spent roughly $3,000 on the grass playing field itself, which they thatched, aerated, re-seeded, and treated, where the field now has grass that holds up. The last major project was the renovation of the scoreboard.

AYF uses the field nearly seven days per week during football season, and it is also home to Fitchburg High lacrosse and youth soccer. The project comes at a time of many sports facility upgrades in the city and falls in line with Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatale's goal of beautifying the city.

"They did a terrific job with that field," DiNatale said. "The paint job on the building is fabulous. My administration is addressing some of the neglected areas of the city. We're hoping that people take pride in their city and help to maintain it, and this is another great example of that, and one more example that adds to the quality of life in our community."

Nikitas was struck and killed by a train, and was only 28 at the time of his death, leaving behind a wife and two young children.

"Officer Peter Nikitas died 38 years ago in the line of duty, and since that time he has never been forgotten, nor will he ever be forgotten," Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest F. Martineau said. "We are very thankful for the American Youth Football League for dedicating this field to him. It means a lot to the entire community, but more so to the Fitchburg Police Department, because we know that he'll never be forgotten in our community.

"There are no police officers working today who ever had the privilege of working with Officer Nikitas, but every police officer knows about Officer Nikitas, his name and his stories, which will transfer from generation to generation, and it will continue that way."

Retired Fitchburg Police Officer John O'Leary was in attendance. He not only served with Nikitas on the Fitchburg Police force, but had also been his best friend since high school.

After O'Leary and Nikitas served in the armed forces during the Vietnam era, both reconnected upon returning to Fitchburg. O'Leary joined the police force first, and encouraged Nikitas to apply, because of his family roots in serving the city -- his father was in the fire department. Soon after, the two were working together.

The night before that fateful day in August, someone broke into Nikitas' cruiser and stole his briefcase, O'Leary said, and on that tragic Sunday Nikitas went on the tracks, a place where he thought he might find information about the theft.

"I guess he went over there to ask about his items and his briefcase," O'Leary said. "I'm up in the Fitchburg High area with a man supposedly with a gun, turned out to be a BB gun. I'm listening to the radio, and hear a man was hit by train. I said, 'Where?' and they said off of Boulder Drive, and then somebody said, 'Get ... down here!'

I race down there, jump over a fence, and there was Pete. I was devastated."

Nikitas had an infectious personality, O'Leary said, the kind of person who kept you laughing all of the time, and someone you wanted to be around as much as you could.

"He was a funny, funny man," O'Leary said. "Great guy with a great personality, and his wife and my wife are best friends. We were best friends, and I miss him a lot, and think of him a lot. I saw his daughter today at the ceremony, and she said, 'You've got to stand with the family.'"

DiNatale and Martineau were there not only for the ceremony, but also took part in the pre-game coin toss. In addition to family members, there were a number of active Fitchburg Police officers present, and State Rep. Stephan Hay also took part.

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